Measuring Impact in Short-format Researcher Development: An Evaluation of Postgraduate Training Workshops

This study evaluates eight postgraduate training workshops delivered in 2024 by AccessEd, an international non-governmental organisation that has supported early-career researchers since 2017. The workshops, part of AccessEd’s Postgraduate Development Programme, aimed to build a broad set of competencies, including project management, leadership, public engagement and sustainable development. Situated within a pragmatic research paradigm, the study employed a convergent mixed-methods evaluation design using purposive sampling. Data were collected through standardised pre- and post- workshop surveys and open-ended feedback questions, and were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. A total of 175 participants completed standardised pre- and post-workshop surveys to assess the workshops’ impact. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed consistent short-term improvements in participants’ knowledge, confidence and practical understanding. Participants also expressed high satisfaction with the facilitators’ expertise, the interactive design of the sessions and the immediate applicability of the content to their academic and professional work. Although long-term outcomes were not assessed, the findings underscore the effectiveness of short- format training as a flexible and time-efficient approach to researcher development. The evaluation was guided by Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory and Kirkpatrick’s Evaluation Model (Levels 1 and 2), offering a dual-lens that combines learner-centred pedagogy with structured outcome assessment. Overall, the study affirms the value of well-designed, theory-driven short- format workshops in higher education. It contributes to ongoing debates about scalable and responsive models for developing early-career researchers. Recommendations are offered for future iterations and longitudinal assessments of such programmes.